


I need your honesty rather than your cruel words

by queenairi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Mark Lee (NCT), Drinking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Lee Donghyuck is a Little Shit, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Na Jaemin Are Best Friends, M/M, Memories, chenle is donghyuck's younger brother, donghyuck is confused, nomin are gross, renjun is a ladies' man, taeyong is donghyuck's older brother, well more like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2019-12-26 19:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18288575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenairi/pseuds/queenairi
Summary: “Would you watch where you’re going?!” Donghyuck yelled at the guy, checking his own outfit only to find that he spilled his coffee all over himself. He was so drenched from the rain, he didn't even feel it. Great, not only was he completely wet, he now also had a giant stain on his white hoodie. This guy was so dead.“Hey, you were the one who ran into me. You don’t have to be so rude,” the guy mumbled, still sounding like he was a little sorry.Donghyuck finally looked at him for the first time. And okay, maybe the guy was actually very cute with his round glasses and handsome features, but no, Donghyuck wasn't going to let anyone speak to him this way. Even if he was the cutest guy Donghyuck has seen in a while, and looked exactly like he was his type and had this adorable, confused expression on his... No, point is, he wasn't going to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [makanaaaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/makanaaaa/gifts).



Two years ago

It all started one rainy day, in Donghyuck’s freshman year of college. The worst day of Donghyuck’s life, if you asked him. He was late for class, textbook in one hand, coffee in the other, no umbrella and running through his campus like a crazy person. Until he wasn't. Next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground. He peeled himself off the pavement ignoring the outstretched hand of the idiot who apparently knocked him down.

“Would you watch where you’re going?!” Donghyuck yelled at the guy, checking his own outfit only to find that he spilled his coffee all over himself. He was so drenched from the rain, he didn't even feel it. Great, not only was he completely wet, he now also had a giant stain on his white hoodie. This guy was so dead.

“Hey, you were the one who ran into me. You don’t have to be so rude,” the guy mumbled, still sounding like he was a little sorry.

Donghyuck finally looked at him for the first time. And okay, maybe the guy was actually very cute with his round glasses and handsome features, but no, Donghyuck wasn't going to let anyone speak to him this way. Even if he was the cutest guy Donghyuck had seen in a while, and looked exactly like he was his type and had this adorable, confused expression on his... No, point is, he wasn't going to. 

“Excuse me? You’re not even going to say sorry?”

Donghyuck knew he was overreacting, but he was in a bitchy mood, and besides, petty was his middle name, so why not? 

The guy raised his ridiculous eyebrow at him, and okay, maybe Donghyuck got ahead of himself thinking how handsome the guy was. Seriously, those were some horrible eyebrows.  
“I’m not. Since it wasn’t my fault.”

Donghyuck didn’t even know what had gotten into him to act the way he did, but somehow this guy, whom he just saw for the first time, brought out the worst in him. So naturally, he lifted his half empty cup off the ground, and spilled the rest of the liquid on the guy’s shirt. The other guy just looked at him, clearly shocked by his behavior.

“Okay then. I guess I’ll be going now,” Donghyuck said calmly and started walking away. He had to admit he did feel a little better after that. Then, he remembered why he was running in the first place, and went back into his shitty mood, praying his professor won't kick him out of the class once again. For the second time this week... Fine, the fifth time this week.

And that wasn’t the worst thing that happened to Donghyuck on that day, oh no. About a few hours of suffering in boring lectures and walking around wet and stained later, Donghyuck heard the worst news of his life. Okay, maybe that’s a little overdramatic, but in that moment, it sure felt like that for Donghyuck.

“You’re giving it to someone else? But why? I thought you liked my song. I thought my voice inspired you to become a better singer, or something," Donghyuck whined to his favorite professor, tears already forming in his eyes.

“Never said that, but whatever,” professor Moon mumbled, before continuing: “This boy who's gonna preform instead of you is amazing, though. You’re gonna love the song, trust me. I even think you could learn a lot from him.”

Moon Taeil just stood there smiling at him, with his usual annoying little smile, and Donghyuck thought how he probably never hated anyone more than he hated his professor in that moment. So it was probably a good thing they were interrupted by a knock on the door, or Donghyuck would have probably said some things he would later regret.

However, that proved to be wrong, when a familiar figure entered his professor’s office. Donghyuck thought it might as well be a joke.

“What a coincidence, we were just talking about you,” Mr. Moon said to the student, with a giant smile on his annoying face. “Come in, come in.”

The cute idiot from that morning stepped further into the office. The smile fell from his face when he saw Donghyuck. And then a slight smirk took its place. The guy looked even better than he did this morning, having changed and even styled his hair apparently. Donghyuck probably looked exactly how he felt - just plain awful.

“This is the guy I was telling you about. He's in a year above you,” His professor was now grinning at them. “Come on, don’t be shy, introduce yourselves.”

And that’s how Mr. Moon officially lost his title as Donghyuck’s favorite professor.

„Mark. Mark Lee,“ The guy said, looking smug as he extended his hand for Donghyuck to shake.

Donghyuck wordlessly shook his hand and then excused himself from the office. He couldn’t imagine being in the same room as that asshole for a minute longer. Luck was, once again, not on his side. Because in the next moment, that same asshole came to him running.

“Hey, I’m sorry for taking your opportunity. I heard your song. It clearly isn’t as half as good as mine, but it’s not absolute trash. Maybe you do end up performing someday,” Mark said, looking at Donghyuck with a small smile. He probably meant it as a joke. Then, he must have noticed the angry look on Donghyuck’s face and realized that he shouldn’t have said that, judging by the regret that started forming in his eyes, but it was too late.

That day, Donghyuck swore on his baby brother’s happiness, that he would do anything to bring Mark Lee down.

~~

So, maybe that little story would help you understand a little better why Donghyuck was screaming uncontrollably. At eight o’clock in the morning. In the middle of the library. Donghyuck certainly thought it was justified. The people around him? Not so much.

“How could you do this? Even from you I wouldn’t expect something this stupid!” 

Mark at least had a courtesy to look a little ashamed. Not that Donghyuck noticed. Not that he would have cared if he did.

“Fucking idiot! Do you understand that this could actually mess with my career? Huh? Have you thought about that?” He just kept going. At this point, Donghyuck didn’t even think he could stop. Unfortunately, the guy he was yelling at was just as ridiculous as him, so he took over.

“Oh, and how is this any different from last week? When you published my diary from middle school? Remember that?” Mark asked with venom in his voice, but if you looked close enough, you could see the amusement in his eyes.

“How can you even compare those two? That was funny as hell, and this is just awful. God I can’t believe this.” Donghyuck just continued where he left of, not paying the small crowd that gathered around them any mind. He would have probably started hitting the boy in front of him at some point, if Mark’s annoying friend didn't step in.

“Okay, okay. We’re all adults here, you can kill each other, but just do it in private,” Jaehyun said, pushing them both out of the library. Donghyuck was just ready to snap at him too, when two hands hugged him from behind and started dragging him somewhere. Oh, someone is definitely going to die today.

“Before you say or do anything, it’s me.” Donghyuck immediately relaxed upon hearing his baby brother’s voice. The little devil knew very well that he had a soft spot for him.

“Chenle, why are you…” he started, only to be interrupted by an obnoxiously loud Mark Lee from somewhere beside him. So, he was being dragged as well. Donghyuck didn’t like this at all.

“Let me go! Jaehyun, I swear to god! If you don’t release me this second I’ll show Taeyong that video of your English oral exam.” All the hate was back in Donghyuck’s body upon hearing his annoying voice. “I just want some milk! Oh Nara, happy birthday!” He was screaming in English mockingly, and Donghyuck confirmed for the billionth time in his life, that Mark Lee is the most obnoxious person ever.

“Joke’s on you. He’s seen it, and he thinks it’s adorable,” Jaehyun answered proudly.

Donghyuck tuned out after that. He really didn’t want to picture his older brother in such a humiliating situation. He got to his senses just in time to see Chenle’s boyfriend opening the doors from what looked to be a janitor’s closet (when did Jisung even get there?). Donghyuck gasped, finally understanding what was happening.

“You wouldn’t!”

The last thing he saw after he was thrown in the closet together with Mark, was his brother’s apologetic face and Jaehyun’s smiling one.

“I’m sorry. I know you’ll forgive me, though. You love me too much,” Chenle said, closing the door. Donghyuck tried to hate him but he knew deep down he was right. He has already forgiven him.

“You’re not getting out until you work everything out," Jaehyun added. “Enjoy.”

They heard the door locking and turned to look at each other. At this point, Donghyuck was just tired. The fact that yet another opportunity was ruined by Mark Lee slowly sunk in, and he was now more sad than anything else. And the worst part was, he couldn’t even be that mad at him, it was his own fault as well, for bringing their bickering to this point.

He sat on the floor and put his chin on his knees, deciding to just wait until the idiots got bored and let them out. And then go to his room and cry. He felt Mark fidgeting next to him. He just hoped he wouldn’t start talking to him or something, since he really wasn’t in the mood for Mark’s shit.

“Please don’t. I really can’t-“ Donghyuck started, not wanting to take any chances.

“I didn’t really do it, Hyuck,” Mark interrupted him, looking at him softly. And even though Mark just said that he did not, in fact, send an embarrassing video of a twelve year old Donghyuck singing Britney Spears to the publishing house that was interested in him, Donghyuck’s first reaction was to start panicking because of the soft tone in Mark’s voice. He didn’t like where this was going. “I was just joking. So please don’t look that sad.”

~~

Three months ago

“Please don’t look that sad.” Taeyong was kneeling in front of Donghyuck where he was seated on the couch. “Jaehyun went to the store five minutes ago, so he should be back soon with more ice cream, ok?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” Donghyuck answered, even managing a small smile. The night wasn’t all that bad after all. Sure, he was devastated once he heard that Mark Lee wasn’t gonna show up to Jaehyun’s party, since he had spent the whole week thinking of ways to humiliate him. Everyone knew that Mark had a low alcohol tolerance, and Donghyuck was dying to take advantage of that. So naturally, he was more than sad when Jeno told him that Mark was sick, and that he wouldn’t come. And then he found out that there was no ice cream left. Oh, that was certainly the final drop for him. But now, that problem was sorted, so things were looking a little better.

“And please slow down with the alcohol,” his brother added while getting up and slowly walking away.

Donghyuck didn’t even have time to answer him before he was gone. Why would Taeyong even say that? Donghyuck wasn’t drunk at all. He only had maybe three, oh no, there were a few at the beggining, fine six, oh, and the ones he took with Yerim an hour ago… Whatever, so maybe he didn’t know the exact number of the shots he took, but it wasn’t that many for sure. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a happy looking Jaemin, who was walking towards him with two shot glasses in his hands. Oh, alcohol!

“Hyuckie, my man! Drink with me!”

Donghyuck eagerly nodded and reached for the glass in Jaemin’s hand.

“I knew I could count on you,” Jaemin said, looking at Donghyuck with something akin to pride in his eyes.

“Always, my bro,” Donghyuck answered, suddenly feeling too emotional. He was so lucky to have a great friend like Jaemin around him. He always knew what Donghyuck needed. After he took his shot, he decided to stop thinking about Mark, and try to enjoy the party. He’ll just prank him some other time, no big deal.

“Do you think Mark is really sick or do you think he just said that because he suspected something?” Donghyuck asked his best friend.

Jaemin looked at him disapprovingly.

“If I hear another word about Mark, I’ll kill you! Do you realize he’s all you’ve been talking about this whole night? Oh right, him and ice cream.”

“Right, I think it’s the second one. He was fine the last time I saw him, his face looked very fresh, and he was wearing this obnoxious shirt, but it didn’t look that bad on him, and…”

Jaemin stopped him by taking the collar of Donghyuck’s shirt in his hand and looking at him with his deadly stare. He looked annoyed for some reason. Donghyuck wondered what that was all about.

Luckily, this weird moment was soon interrupted by Renjun and Jeno, the latter immediately clinging to Jaemin like he hasn’t seen his boyfriend in a year. Donghyuck turned to Renjun, he didn’t trust his gag reflex enough to watch Jeno and Jaemin make out. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. If they don’t come to you, you go to them. He’s sure there’s a saying that goes something like that. Or maybe there isn’t, and he’ll be the one to invent it. Oh, this was huge, he just needed to write it down somewhere….

“Donghyuck? Are you even listening to me?” Renjun’s calm voice interrupted his thought process. What was he thinking about again? Right, the idea.

“Renjun, you know I love you a lot, right? Don’t say this to Nomin, but you were always my favorite one.” He started, looking at Renjun in (what he thought was) a cute way.

“What do you want Donghyuck?” His friend asked sounding bored. Rude.

“Okay, so I have a brilliant idea. Let’s go to Mark’s dorm and break his windows or something, so that he gets really cold, and like gets more sick, and…”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Hyuck. I’m not even gonna comment on your plan, cause it just makes no sense. The main concern here is that you don’t realize you’re obsessed with Mark. Seriously, you’re at a party. Have fun, dance, but don’t drink, no, you’ve had enough of that.”

Donghyuck gasped, clearly offended by Renjun’s, obviously untrue, words.

“How could you say that? I did not have enough of that.”

Renjun just sighed, looking at Donghyuck pitifully.

“You’re not even denying it.”

At that moment, a pretty girl came from behind Renjun and put her arms around his neck. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He chuckled lightly and nodded at her.

“Well, gotta go, duty calls,” Renjun said while getting up. He smiled to the girl, putting his arm around her and they started walking away.

Donghyuck just rolled his eyes. Typical Renjun. But he guessed his friend was right. He should go drink some more.

“I’m gonna go get a drink. You guys want anything?” he started, only to take one look at his two friends and regret it immediately. “And of course your hand is in his pants.”

Once he got up, he discovered standing wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Maybe getting some fresh air was a better idea than a drink. Stupid Renjun and his ideas. He opened the front door, only to have two figures almost run into him. And those two figures were none other than Jung Jaehyun and Mark Lee. Guess this night truly was getting better and better.

“Hey, Hyuck. You weren’t just leaving right? I brought you your ice cream,” Jaehyun excitedly said and Donghyuck just noticed the big bag in his hand. Screw that, this night was gonna be perfect.

Donghyuck immediately snatched the bag out of Jaehyun’s hand and hugged him tightly when they got inside.

“Thank you Jaehyun, I love you,” he whispered in his ear.

“Wow, someone’s drunk,” Jaehyun exclaimed once Donghyuck let him go, wearing his biggest, dimpliest smile. Why does everyone seem to think that? People were weird.

Donghyuck then heard Mark clear his throat from somewhere behind him. He turned to look at him. Ha, Donghyuck was right after all, Mark looked too good to be sick. Or just too good in general, but that’s not important. What was important? Wow, Mark looked good tonight.

“Donghyuck,” he started, looking like his typical awkward self. “Can we make a truce just for tonight? I’m really exhausted and my head hurts, so please, let’s not fight.”

Mark looked very vulnerable and honest, and Donghyuck almost felt a little bad for continuing with his plan. Key word being almost. The situation was just too good not to take advantage of.

“Markie! I was just thinking the same thing,” he said, smiling brightly at Mark. Okay, maybe too brightly, since Mark looked a little skeptic. He had to be a little more convincing. “I didn’t plan anything, I swear. Want to grab a drink with me?”

Nailed it.

“Alright, why not? A truce drink.” Mark was smiling cutely at him, and Donghyuck had to look away. God, that guy was annoying. Mark spoke again. “Jaehyun, you coming?”

“Uhm, you guys go ahead. I think I heard Taeyong explaining the meaning of whiplash to someone, and I just gotta stop that,” Jaehyun said with a worried expression on his face. Then, he turned to Mark and smirked a little. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Actually, don’t do anything I would do. You get the point.”

He winked at them, and walked away. Donghyuck was glad, he was finally getting what he wanted. Mark Lee. Well, that sounded wrong. Mark turned to him and smiled widely.

“Okay, shall we go buddy?”

“You’re pushing it.”

“Right.”

It’s been an hour, and Mark was currently laughing so hard at something Donghyuck was saying, that his drink started coming through his nose. It should be disgusting, no, it was disgusting, but Donghyuck somehow found it endearing.

It’s been an hour, and somewhere along the way, Donghyuck’s plan got lost. Slowly, but surely. He did, in fact, manage to come through with his plan. The problem was, he now didn’t even remember it. Mark really was drunk, and he really was embarrassing himself, only, so was Donghyuck.

“Okay, now me. Truth!” Mark said, looking as excited as a kid playing his favorite game.

The two of them were sitting on the grass, in the backyard of Jaehyun's dorm, too engrossed in their conversation to notice how everyone went back inside, and they were currently alone in the large backyard.

Donghyuck started thinking. This was the perfect moment to find out some of Marks deepest secrets, and then use them against him, or something. But somehow, that just seemed a little too exhausting now.

“Okay, how old were you when you had your first kiss?“ What, it was the first thing that came to his mind.

“Oh wow. You're really going there? “ Mark started laughing uncontrollably. “It's like you knew. That was actually the most embarrassing moment of my life, but what the hell. It's a funny story.“

“It happened when I was fifteen, I was in this school play and, oh god, this is so embarrassing.”

“Come on Mark, just say it! Now I'm curious.“

“Fine, fine. This girl and I were supposed to kiss at the end of this school play, and I was a little nervous, since it was my first kiss and all. And it was gonna happen in front all of the school, and their parents.”

“Oh I already see this is gonna be good. “

“Shut up. So the moment came, and I, being my awkward self, closed my eyes first, and then went for the kiss. So I missed. Since she was taller then me, I ended up kissing her chin.”

There was a second of silence and then Donghyuck bursted into laughter, Mark joining him eventually.

“Oh my god, somehow, that makes so much sense. The fact that that was your first kiss.” He still couldn't stop laughing.

“The worst part was, she started laughing, so everyone joined her, and instead of going with it, I panicked and ran away from the stage. “ Mark barely managed through his laughter.

“This is so not going according to my plan.” Donghuck laughed. Oh, fuck. “No, I meant…”

“Hyuck, I knew you were planning something. You were very obvious,” Mark said, laughing at him.

Donghyuck pouted. He wasn’t that obvious.

“Then why did you agree to drink with me?” he asked cheekily. Mark probably didn’t have an answer to that.

“You were so drunk, I knew you were harmless.”

That makes sense, but…

“That doesn’t answer my question, though. Plus, I’m never harmless.”

Mark sighed, looking at the ground. He actually looked shy, and if it wasn’t the cutest thing Donghyuck’s ever seen…

“I kinda wanted to hang out with you. I think you’re really funny and actually pretty cool when you’re not making my life a living hell.” He looked at him through his lashes and smiled a little.

Something twitched in Donghyuck’s chest. He looked away.

“I guess you’re not so bad yourself,” Donghyuck mumbled awkwardly. And he wasn’t lying, Mark really wasn’t that bad once you got to know him. Not that he would ever say that when he was sober, of course.

Mark looked like he wanted to say something else, but at the end, he just lied down on the grass, looking at the sky. Donghyuck lied down besides him. They just stayed like that in scilence for a few minutes, and Donghyuck was surprised how calm and comfortable he felt. It was like Mark's presence relaxed him somehow. Which was more than ironic.

“Donghyuck...” Mark started. His voice sounded a little unsure, so Donghyuck turned to look at him. He realized Mark’s face was actually very close to his. When did that even happen? Donghyuck’s eyes went to Mark’s, only to find that Mark’s eyes were on his lips. Donghyuck’s mind went blank. Mark flicked his eyes to meet Donghyuck’s, as if asking for permission. He only nodded dumbly, and then Mark started leaning towards him. Donghyuck closed his eyes.

~~

“Donghyuck? You’re scaring me. Say something. It was a joke, please don’t kill me.” Mark was now straight up panicking.

“Okay.” Was the only thing Donghyuck thought of.

“Do we really have to keep doing this?” Mark asked after a few minutes of scilence. Donghyuck saw it coming. That didn’t mean he knew what to say, though. “I meant what I said that night, and I know you did too.”

“What night?” Donghyuck asked. He knew he was being annoying, but he couldn’t help it. Old habits die hard.

Mark just ignored him and continued talking. Donghyuck pouted. “What I want to say is, I want this to end. We’re both being ridiculous and we know it.” He looked at Donghyuck expectedly. “And I’d like to continue where we left of that night.”

Donghyuck had to look away from the intensity of his stare. Deep down, he was probably aware that he wanted the same as Mark, but emotions were just so complicated. And he was supposed to hate Mark, for fucks sake. So he just wasn’t ready to deal with all of this. Hence, this disaster.

“I was the one who flooded your apartment that time, not Jaehyun!” The words just left his mouth. At that moment, a shocked Jaehyun opened the door, and Donghyuck took that opportunity to run away.

“You did what?” He heard Jaehyun’s voice from behind at the same time as Mark yelled:

“Donghyuck, you can’t run away from this forever!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hyuck, you're amazing, you know that, right? He's crazy for letting you go,“ Mark suddenly said, looking at Donghyuck like he wanted to make him believe it.
> 
> And Donghyuck knew Mark was just saying it to make him stop crying or something, but it felt real, somehow. And he liked that it felt real. Huh, he really was pathetic today, wasn't he? Not knowing what to say, he just laughed.
> 
> “That seems a little over the top. You don't have to be nice to me just because I'm crying, Mark Lee. I'll be fine. “

It’s been a week since the awkward encounter with Mark, and Donghyuck now knew every hiding spot at their campus. Because he was hiding from Mark. Because he didn't want to talk to him. Because he was a coward. You get the point.

It's been a week, and Donghyuck was still as confused as ever, trying not to think about Mark or anything Mark related. The fact that he wasn't doing a very good job didn't help at all. And neither did his idiot friends, for that matter.

Donghyuck was in the library, peacefully pretending to read, when his pathetic excuse for a best friend loudly interrupted him.

“Hyuckie! Your boyfriend is coming, so better get going,“ Na Jaemin said with a giant smile on his handsome face.

“What? Where is he?” Donghyuck whisper yelled, already packing up his things to leave while ducking his head awkwardly. He just wasn't ready to talk to Mark now. Or ever.

Jaemin just stood there, dying of laughter, and Donghyuck realized his best friend is one big piece of shit. For a billionth time this week.

“I hate you so much,“ he said, getting up and then hitting his friend repeatedly.

“I'm sorry, you're just so funny when you start panicking like that.“ Jaemin was now laughing uncontrollably, imitating Donghyuck in a matter that, if you asked Donghyuck, was straight up offensive, and totally incorrect.

So, even though Mark wasn't really coming, Donghyuck decided to leave anyway. For one, to get away from this monster, and also, he was actually pretty tired of staring at the contents page after doing it for the past hour.

He didn't even spare Jaemin a goodbye before turning around and leaving him in the library. Like the idiot will have any idea what to do in there. Stupid Jaemin. How could he even think about saying anything to him, when he himself was way worse. He and Jeno were dancing around each other for years before Jeno finally asked him out. Jaemin would just let things stay like they were forever if it was up to him. And Donghyuck was the one who had to listen to him pining every single day. At least Jaemin didn't have to deal with that, because Donghyuck would never admit he liked Mark out loud. Not that he liked him, of course. Just like, hypothetically. IF he liked Mark. Why was he thinking about liking Mark again?

His inner rant was interrupted when he smashed into someone in front of him. He lifted his head, ready to yell at whoever he hit (even if it was his fault, yes), but seeing who it was made him immediately lose his voice. Standing in front of him was Mark Lee, in all his glory. Well, shit.

Mark looked, well, really good. And Donghyuck hated it. That made it even harder for him to speak like a normal person. Not that he lately knew how to do it in front of Mark, anyway.

“How the tables have turned,“ Mark chuckled awkwardly.

“What?”

“You know... When we met...“ Mark scratched the back of his head. “You spilled your coffee then, now I spilled mine, so… “

Donghyuck’s mind started working again. Right. Obviously. He hadn't even noticed Mark spilled his coffee. God, he was so distracted by Mark's stupid, handsome face. Nope, just stupid. Focus, Donghyuck!

“I gotta...“ Donghyuck started. He tried finishing his sentence, but apparently his one left brain cell stopped working. So he just forced a smile and got ready to walk away.

He already started walking in the opposite direction of where he was going (well, obviously he had to continue making a fool out of himself in front of Mark), when Mark's soft voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

“If I said something you weren't ready to hear, I'm sorry Donghyuck. “

~~

One year ago

“I’m sorry Donghyuck, I really am.”

Donghyuck felt as if someone punched him in the chest. Hard. He looked at Xiao Jun’s apologetic expression and realized that he couldn’t even be mad at him. He knew Xiao Jun really was sorry, and that behind his fuckboy mask, he really was a good person. But that didn’t change the fact that it still hurt. They weren’t together for that long, but still. Donghyuck had a habit of getting attached to people too quickly. He should probably change that. This sucked.

“Can you at least tell me why? Like, I knew our relationship wasn’t ideal or anything, but it's not like I was expecting this either,” Donghyuck asked, praying there weren’t any tears in his eyes. He just really didn’t want to cry right now.

“Well, I’m gonna be honest you, I owe you that much. I think I like someone else,” Xiao Jun said, sounding even more regretful than before, as impossible as it seemed.

Oh my god, Donghyuck should have seen this coming. It was that crazy bitch YangYang, he just knew it. He and Xiao Jun started spending a lot of time together ever since YangYang accidentally kissed Xiao Jun at a party cause he was drunk. Donghyuck should have probably suspected something then, but he was too busy trying to spike Mark's drink with a laxative. Maybe if he noticed then, and tried to- No, he wasn't going to think that way, what's done is done. He’ll get over Xiao Jun eventually, and he hopes Xiao Jun will be happy with YangYang (even though the guy was low key crazy). He deserves it.

That's why he faked a smile, told Xiao Jun that's its fine, that he's not mad, and even that they could still be friends. That was probably too much, but he couldn't really stop himself. He was happy they ended things on good terms, and he respected Xiao Jun for telling him first, and not just cheating on him, or something.

Therefore, he had no idea why he wanted to cry this bad. Obviously, he was sad they broke up, but he understood, and it’s not like they were ideal for each other or anything. But somehow the fact that Xiao Jun chose someone else over him didn’t sit well with him. Was he not good enough? Was YangYang better than him? Smarter? Funnier? Well, that’s definitely a no, no one was funnier than him, but still. He couldn’t help but feel small somehow. That’s why he just wanted to lock himself in his room and cry for a few hours. And then he’d be fine, he was sure.

Barely managing to hold back his tears, he finally reached his dorm. He opened the door to what was supposed to be his safe place, somewhere he could cry for the rest of the day, only to find himself staring at the giant Mark Lee painted on his wall. What the fuck?

And then the real Mark Lee popped from Donghyuck’s bathroom with a giant grin on his face. You've got to be kidding him.

“You're welcome,” Mark said, his smile growing even bigger upon seeing Donghyuck’s shocked expression. He then started a rant about how he managed to do it, but Donghyuck tuned out. Next thing he knows, Mark is right in front of him, and his own face feels incredibly wet. Oh, no.

“Donghyuck?” Mark carefully asked, looking at Donghyuck like he might break every second. Well who knows, he might, apparently he had absolutely no control over his own body.

God, this was the last thing he wanted. To cry in front of Mark. Suddenly, crying in front of Xiao Jun seemed amazing. He tried to compose himself, but ended up crying even harder. Seriously, what was wrong with him?

Mark now looked straight up uncomfortable and panicked at the same time.

“Hey, I'm gonna repaint it, I promise. As soon as I save up some money, this wasn't really cheap you know...“ he started rambling again. Donghyuck just wanted him to get out.

“Mark, it's not -“ he tried, but Mark didn't even notice he was trying to talk because of his stupid rant.

“... Or I could paint something else, like Michael Jackson, you like him, right? Or, oh, I know, that boyfriend of yours, maybe… “

“Get out.“ Donghyuck barely managed, and tears started flowing even faster. Mark looked stunned for a second. Then he slapped himself on the forehead.

“I'm such an idiot. You're obviously not crying because of this, right?“ he asked softly.

Donghyuck just looked down at the floor, trying to will his tears to stop falling.

“Well, I'm not just gonna leave you like this. Even you don't deserve to be alone when you're clearly going through something. You don't have to tell me what happened, I'll just stay here until you calm down,“ Mark said, determined. Then he sat down on Donghyuck’s couch and started drumming his fingers on his leg.

Donghyuck just sighed, and sat down at the couch across from him. He didn't know what else to do. He needed to pull himself together, so that Mark would leave. A few minutes passed and Donghyuck finally managed to stop crying. He still wasn't looking at Mark. He honestly had no idea what to say to him.

When he did look at Mark, he found the other already looking at him, with a worried expression on his face.

“Hyuck, you're amazing, you know that, right? He's crazy for letting you go,“ Mark suddenly said, looking at Donghyuck like he wanted to make him believe it.

And Donghyuck knew Mark was just saying it to make him stop crying or something, but it felt real, somehow. And he liked that it felt real. Huh, he really was pathetic today, wasn't he? Not knowing what to say, he just laughed.

“That seems a little over the top. You don't have to be nice to me just because I'm crying, Mark Lee. I'll be fine. “

“I’m just telling the truth,“ Mark mumbled, averting his eyes to the ground. Donghyuck suddenly felt bad, Mark was just trying to make him feel better, and he was being a jerk. He chuckled, but it just ended up sounding awkward.

“I already know that. But thanks anyway.”

Mark quickly snapped his eyes at him. And then smiled so brightly, Donghyuck had to look away. When he looked at Mark again, he found the other looking at him softly, and then slowly getting up and approaching Donghyuck. He knelt down in front of him and reached his hand to Donghyuck’s face. Donghyuck froze, and his mind went blank. Mark cupped his face with his hand, and wiped the tears from under Donghyuck’s eye with his thumb.

“Good.”

And that’s where Donghyuck started panicking. What the hell was happening?! Why was his heart beating so fast? Why was Mark so nice to him, and, most importantly, why on earth did he like it? So he did what every normal human being would do in this situation.

“God Mark, ever heard of shaving? That mustache looks awful.“

What? That was the first thing he could think of. In his defense, Mark's mustache really was slightly showing, the fact that Donghyuck found it cute was not important at the moment.

Mark ducked his head a little, but Donghyuck saw he was smiling. Then he got up, and sat down next to Donghyuck this time. He started humming some song under his breath, and Donghyuck found it strangely comforting. He started relaxing, suddenly realizing how tired he actually was from all this emotional drama. His eyes started feeling heavy so he thought he would just close them for a few seconds.

Next thing he knows, he’s waking up and his neck hearts like a bitch. He slowly lifted his head to realize that it was uncomfortably leaning on something next to him. What happened? Last thing he remembers was closing his eyes for a second, when Mark…

Oh, right, Mark. But where did he- On, no! No, no, no…

He opened his eyes and looked to his right only to be met with Mark’s curious eyes.

“Sleep well?”

“Uhm…”

He was still disoriented from sleep, he couldn’t even think, let alone speak.

“Right, it’s already late, so I’ll get going now. I see you’re feeling a lot better, so my work here is done,” Mark said proudly, stretching his back when he got up from the couch. Donghyuck’s eyes did not linger on the patch of skin that showed when Mark's shirt rode up his stomach. Nope, they absolutely did not. But seriously, when did Mark get abs??

Thankfully, Donghyuck’s mind started working again a few seconds later, when Mark was already putting his shoes on. Good, he needed to set things straight between them.

“Don’t start thinking we’re friends now or something,” Donghyuck said, with a lot less bite than he intended.

Mark just chuckled, turning to look at Donghyuck.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Enjoy your wall,” He said cheekily, opening Donghyuck’s front door.

Donghyuck stuck his tongue out like the three year old he secretly was, just happy that things were back to normal. At least, some things.

Mark already started walking away when Donghyuck realized how much better he was feeling, and that he had Mark to thank for it. So, that’s what he did.

“Thank you Mark,” He said quietly, not knowing if Mark would even hear it. Kinda hoping he wouldn't. But, since Mark paused, then turned around and smiled at Donghyuck one last time before leaving, he knew he must have heard it.

It was only when Donghyuck got inside and caught his reflection in the mirror in his hallway, that he noticed he was smiling. So, maybe Mark Lee wasn’t that bad after all.

~~

He quickly composed himself and started walking again. He was mad at himself for letting Mark’s words affect him this much. He didn’t even know why he was thinking about that. So, once again, he decided not to.

Donghyuck went back to his dorm and kept himself busy for the next few hours. By busy he meant rewatching old dramas and ignoring all his problems.

It was already dark outside when his phone rang, interrupting his third episode of Goblin.

“Hey TY track, what’s up?” Donghyuck asked, picking up after checking his caller ID. He could easily not have done that, since it was his older brother who called ninety percent of the time, but still. He couldn’t risk accidentally answering if it was Jeno.

“Stop calling me that. I’m coming over later, what do you want me to make?” His brother spoke through the phone.

Donghyuck then proceeded to list every single dish he could think of, since he realized he hasn't eaten in hours, and was pretty much starving.

Two hours later, Taeyong was standing in front of Donghyuck’s door with his hands full of bags filled with food. This was one of those rare moments Donghyuck was thankful for having an older brother.

“Why is it such a mess in here? Didn’t we agree you’ll try to clean up more?” his brother asked as soon as he stepped through the door.

Never mind.

“Don’t start. I’ll clean up as soon as you leave, I promise," Donghyuck pleaded. He was just really not in a mood for his brother's nagging.

“Fine,” Taeyong sighed reluctantly, heading towards Donghyuck’s kitchen. Donghyuck followed him there and then proceeded to watch him put the food into plates. He looked like he was thinking about something, and Donghyuck had a feeling he knew why Taeyong was here. But then he just smiled at Donghyuck and handed him two plates filled with delicious food.

“You’re watching Goblin? Great, let’s watch together!” Taeyong was already getting confortable on Donghyuck’s couch. Okay, so maybe he was wrong.

A few hours, and tree episodes later, Donghyuck realized he couldn't really watch the show. He was thinking about things he didn't want to think about, and he couldn't stop himself.

“Hey, how did you realize you liked Jaehyun?“ The question just came out, and now he'll definitely have to talk about it. Good job Donghyuck!

Taeyong turned his attention to Donghyuck. Then he pursed his lips, looking deep in his thoughts. A smile slowly spread on his face.

“Back when I was still in college, there was this huge party, basically the party of the year. It was the only thing Jaehyun talked about weeks before it. And then, the day of the party, I got an email that an important job interview was rescheduled for tomorrow. So I started panicking, you know? I thought I had a week to prepare, and they suddenly rescheduled it. Jaehyun actually managed to calm me down a little through the phone, so I started practicing for the interview and only having a panic attack every five minutes.” He chuckled, looking somewhere in front of himself, with a fond expression.

Donghyuck listened to his brother’s story carefully, watching how his eyes sparkle while talking about his boyfriend. He usually found it disgusting, but weirdly, tonight he didn't.

“And then, not even an hour after our phone call, Jaehyun showed at my dorm with coffee and a bunch of donuts, and stayed with me the whole night, helping me prepare for the interview. I remember insisting he went to the party, but he wouldn’t hear it, saying that I was way more important to him than some stupid college party.”

There was a minute of silence after that, Donghyuck processing what his brother just told him, and Taeyong looking lost in his thoughts. Then Taeyong seemed to snap out of it, so he turned to Donghyuck with a knowing smile on his face.

“Anyways, I think that was the moment I realized how I felt about him. But why are you suddenly interested in that? Normally you stop listening to me the second I start talking about Jaehyun.”

Donghyuck couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes. He knew the second he did, Taeyong would know everything, even things he didn’t know himself. You see, Donghyuck wasn’t a complete idiot. He may act like one all of the time, but he really wasn’t. So he knew there was something he felt for Mark, he just wasn’t brave enough to acknowledge it.

“I was just curious,” he mumbled, knowing Taeyong was definitely not gonna buy it.

Taeyong sighed, and Donghyuck knew what was coming.

“Jaehyun mentioned some things. You know you can tell me anything, right?” His brother now sounded worried, and Donghyuck hated himself for worrying him.

“Of course I know that,” he said, looking at his brother, hoping he managed to show how much he trusted him with his expression. “It’s just hard for me to talk about these things, especially when I’m not even sure how I feel.”

Taeyong put his hand on his brothers knee, stroking it with his thumb gently. Donghyuck was glad for the contact, since physical affection always seemed to relax him.

“I know feelings can be scary sometimes. If anyone understands, it's me. I never told you the part where I avoided Jaehyun for a month after realizing I liked him. The poor guy was close to just finding someone else, I swear. “

Donghyuck chuckled at that, he sometimes forgot how similar he and his brother were, although it seemed like they were polar opposites most of the time.

“Jaehyun would never find someone else. Even if he wanted to. He loves you too much to do that.“

His brother just smiled, seemingly agreeing with Donghyuck.

“Enough about me and Jaehyun! Tell me about Mark. “

Donghyuck’s heart started speeding up just from hearing his name. God, he was really whipped, wasn't he?

“Mark? Who's Mark?“ Donghyuck asked, cause that's just who he was.

Taeyong just ignored him, not even changing his facial expression by a little bit, and motioning with his hand for Donghyuck to continue. People around him got used to his annoying antics, and learned to just ignore them most of the time. Donghyuck understood. He knew he was a very hard person to deal with.

“Fine, his name is Mark,“ Donghyuck said seriously, like he just revealed the world’s biggest secret.

“Donghyuck, I know it's Mark. I litteraly said it two seconds ago.“

“Right. Well, I don't know, I think I might like him. He kinda confessed to me, well not really, but sort of. And then I panicked and ran away. That's it.“

Taeyong just listened to him, nodding his head along like Donghyuck’s actions made perfect sense.

“Jaehyun suspected that's what happened but Mark wouldn't tell him a thing. He said it's between you and him.” Taeyong looked at him and added carefully, as if not to upset his younger brother: “He really is a keeper, Hyuck.“

Donghyuck knew his brother adored Mark, well, the truth was, pretty much everyone did. He was so polite and respectful towards everyone, and it just made Donghyuck more annoyed cause he wasn't that way with him.

Donghyuck sighed, knowing his brother was right. Even with Mark's and his weird dynamics, Donghyuck could see Mark really was a good person, who cared about others a lot, and that he truly liked Donghyuck for who he was.

“I know,“ Donghyuck mumbled, looking at his hands, suddenly feeling shy. He hated being serious and talking about his feelings, but he knew he had to do it sometimes. “It's just that, I'm supposed to hate him and everything. We literally spent the last three years making each other's lives miserable. And suddenly we like each other. I don't know, it's confusing.“

“But Hyuck, have you actually ever hated him? I've seen you talk about him many times, and you always had that look in your eyes, it looked like you were really having fun playing your little games with him. Also, it's not suddenly. I think you guys liked each other for a while now,“ Taeyong chuckled, looking amused.

Donghyuck thought about it for a second. He guessed he never really hated Mark. And yes he had fun messing with Mark, but that couldn't be the only reason he did it. Could it? And when did he even start liking Mark? When did Mark start liking him?

Taeyong luckily interrupted his inner crisis before he completely lost his mind.

“Don't think about the past too much. What you're feeling now is what matters. And I can tell you really like him. So just go for it. You guys don't have to rush into anything, but just let him know how you feel. The poor boy is a mess, from what Jaehyun told me.“

Donghyuck suddenly felt bad for avoiding Mark all this time. He didn't really stop to think how hard this must have been for Mark, confessing to someone, and then watching them run away. He once again thought how thoughtful Mark was, giving Donghyuck his time, even if it was painful for himself.

“You're right. It's time I do something about it. “ Donghyuck said with determination, feeling a lot better now that this weight has been lifted off his chest.

“C’mon, I'll buy you a drink. I know how hard this was for you,“ Taeyong said, taking his brother's hand in his.

You didn't hear it from him, but Donghyuck really was lucky for having Taeyong in his life.

They walked out of the apartment only to find a hunched Chenle talking on the phone, with his back turned to them.

“Okay, Jisung. Operation ‘make Hyuck jealous’ begins,” he whispered to the phone, apparently not noticing his brothers walking out of the apartment.

“Lele, what are you doing here?” Taeyong asked, putting his hand on Chenle's shoulder once they got close enough.

Chenle jumped, quickly turning around, his wide eyes darting from Donghyuck to Taeyong. He then seemed to compose himself, smiling widely at them.

“Great, I was just about to get you two. Let's go for a drink, we haven't hung out together in so long,“ Chenle said with a sweet voice, smiling his brightest smile, and both Taeyong and Donghyuck seemed to forget the little devil was planning god knows what.

Donghyuck was so immersed in Chenle's story about some date Jisung and he went to, squealing way too many times for it to be considered socially acceptable, that he didn't even notice when they stepped in the cafe.

What he did notice was an evil grin that suddenly took place on Chenle's innocent face. His brother was looking somewhere to his left, and when Donghyuck turned to see what it was, he nearly choked on his spit.

Jisung, Renjun and Mark Lee all sat on one table. Jisung looked awkward (but that's just how he always looked), Renjun bored, and Mark… Mark was wearing a basic black t shirt, his hair messy on top of his head in the way that made him look like he just got out of bed, but in a hot way. He also wore glasses so, naturally, Donghyuck nearly fainted at the sight. Mark usually wore contacts, but of course he had to wear his glasses today, it’s like he knew Donghyuck had a thing for glasses (or just Mark with glasses, who knows). He also looked incredibly uncomfortable, but who cared when he looked that hot. Donghyuck subtly raised the back of his hand to the corner of his lips, to check if he was drooling. Next to him, Chenle made a disgusted sound. Okay, so maybe not so subtly.

He snapped out of his daze upon noticing a switch on Jisung’s face when he noticed them. Looking extremely excited, he, not so gently, pushed Renjun towards Mark, the latter steadying Renjun with his hands, and Renjun looking at him unimpressed. Jisung then looked at Donghyuck and smiled innocently. It took Donghyuck a few seconds to finally understand what this was about.

The two of them clearly wanted to make Donghyuck jealous, so he would realize he liked Mark or something. The plan was actually not that bad, but Donghyuck really didn't know why they thought it was a good idea to hire Renjun for this part.

Jisung then started walking towards them, leaving Mark and Renjun, who just sat there, not even talking to each other, behind. Jisung just opened his mouth to say something (probably along the lines of: What a surprise, what are you guys doing here?), but Donghyuck cut him off.

“Seriously guys? You couldn't find someone else? Literally, anyone else? Renjun is like the straightest person on the planet.“

Taeyong snorted somewhere behind him, Jisung looked at him wide eyed, and Chenle just laughed his dolphin laugh. Donghyuck sighed.

“And, by the way, Donghyuck accepted that he likes Mark just now, so you're a little too late,“ Taeyong added, unfortunately, not so quietly.

In that moment, practically the whole cafe went quiet, and then the sound of a glass breaking was heard. Everyone turned towards the sound, where a wide eyed Mark was standing over a bunch of broken glass. Well, this wasn't supposed to happen...

Donghyuck was once again left speechless, frozen in the spot, and staring into Mark’s eyes. For what it’s worth, Mark wasn’t doing much better. He continued staring at Donghyuck even after the waitress came to clean the broken glass, looking at him with disgust the whole time.

Donghyuck was aware that everyone in the cafe was now invested in his and Mark's story, dying to see what was gonna happen next. He knew he was supposed to make the next move, and that everyone, including Mark and his brothers and Jisung, expected him to.

He gulped loudly, his heart beating in his chest like crazy. He wanted to just march up to Mark and tell him everything that's on his mind. He was determined to put a stop on whatever the two of them are doing, and finally confess to him!

But not like this. That's why he did what he did best these days, and ran away. The second he got out of the cafe, he started wondering if he made the right choice. The disappointed look on Mark's face engraved on his mind, and he didn't like it at all. But Donghyuck knew he had to do this the right way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know, I think about that night a lot. If only Taeyong hadn't shown up..." Mark started speaking again after a while, trailing off pointedly. 
> 
> Donghyuck knew he had to say something now. And after everything Mark just said, he knew he needed to be honest.
> 
> "Me too," he said quietly, looking at the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may have been strongly influenced by my own fantasies of having Chenle for a younger brother, I couldn't help it.

Donghyuck was screwed. He spent the last few days brainstorming and researching confession ideas and now his brain was one step away from exploding. It was also safe to say that his search history is definitely not something he was proud of.

But the worst part was, he had nothing. His friends were, once again, completely useless. Jaemin faked being a confident gay again by saying that he should just go up to Mark and kiss him, in the middle of the campus and everything. He knew damn well that Donghyuck would never, ever do such a thing. Jeno was more helpful, but went too far, saying he should do something beautiful and super romantic. Barf. And lastly, Renjun just said that he didn't understand why Donghyuck was making such a big deal out of it in the first place. No comment for that one.

So, it was easy to say that Donghyuck was screwed. And he knew Mark was waiting for him to do something, too. He’s seen him a few times after the incident (from afar of course), the older looking at him like an excited puppy waiting for his treat every time. That just put even more pressure on Donghyuck.

He knew he could just go to Mark, and tell him how he felt like a normal person would. But that just wasn't Donghyuck. He didn't know what he was, if not unnecessarily dramatic. That's why this had to be big and special.

But now, lying on his bed and stuffing his face with chips, trying to think for more than five minutes physically pained him. So, he needed help. And he knew this situation called for an expert. He picked up his phone and called the first number on speed dial.

"Chenle, I have a mission for you."

He had to pull the phone away from his face to protect his ears from the obnoxiously loud squealing that emitted through the phone.

~~

To say that Chenle was crazy would be an understatement. That didn't change the fact that he was Donghyuck’s favourite person in the entire world, but still. Crazy.

That's why, hearing him talk about how they should drug and kidnap Mark, didn't come as that big of a surprise to Donghyuck. He knew that the little angel could come up with something really good, once he got all of his crazy ideas out. Donghyuck just had to be patient.

He was sitting on Chenle's bed, pretending to listen to the younger who was sitting in his lap, while playing with his hair absent-mindedly.

His hands slowly migrated to Chenle's face, and he started squeezing his cheeks like he normally does. The amazing thing was, Chenle was just so used to it, that he never even tried to protest. That's why his favourite thing in the world was torturing his little brother. If he could only squeeze a little harder…

"Hyuckie, you have that expression again," Chenle said worriedly, after turning around and inspecting his brother's face.

"Sorry, sorry," Donghyuck apologized, removing his hands from Chenle's face. "So, what are we on now?"

"I was saying how you should maybe use one of your little pranks and turn it into a confession. Could be fun," Chenle said nonchalantly, like he didn't just come up with the best idea ever.

"Lele, you're a genius! I knew you had it in you!" Donghyuck exclaimed, throwing himself at his little brother, and then showering him with kisses. Chenle just laughed brightly.

~~

The next few days were spent on working out the details for their new plan. Everything was just coming together so nicely, and Donghyuck was excited to soon put their plan to action. Chenle came up with an amazing idea, and Donghyuck loved it from the minute he had heard it. Now he just had one more person to convince to help him. He went to the campus coffee shop and got ready to charm his favourite barista.

“Xuxi, please,” Donghyuck pleaded, pout forming on his face, batting his eyes at the tall boy behind the counter.

The girl behind Donghyuck scoffed, looking at him with disgust. What was her problem? Couldn’t she tell this was a very important situation? And besides, it’s not like he was holding the line for that long, it's been only fifteen minutes, max. Yukhei scratched the back of his head, looking at Donghyuck confusedly.

“I’d like to help you, Hyuck. But that sounds a little weird. Are you sure it’s a good idea?” He then looked at the rude girl and smiled at her apologetically. Yukhei was just nice like that. And that's exactly why Donghyuck picked him for his mission. He knew Yukhei was too nice to say no to him. Also, he was Mark's friend, so that was a plus.

Donghyuck didn't know Yukhei very well, only talked to him when he came to the coffee shop Yukhei worked at, but he had always liked the tall boy. He was nice, handsome, smiled a lot, so it was pretty much impossible not to like him. He was also Mark's age, and Donghyuck has seen them together a few times, so he knew they were friends. And that just made the situation more perfect.

“Of course! It’s gonna be great!” Donghyuck exclaimed, probably a little louder than it was acceptable, since a few people from the line got out of the shop after that. He was pretty sure he heard one of them saying something about wanting him dead. Oh well, it’s not like he hasn’t heard it before.

Yukhei just stood there, still looking uncertain. Donghyuck sighed, not happy with the thing he was about to do.

“Duckie is gonna be thad if you don't do it,” he said in a cute way, crossing his arms with a pout forming on his lips. The majority of the people left the line now, a few of them cursing loudly.

Yukhei cracked a smile, and Donghyuck knew he had him. After all, Yukhei was a sucker for cute things.

“Yes, okay. Now please go before you make the rest of my customers leave.”

~~

“Okay, now grab my hand and look at me lovingly,” Donghyuck instructed, looking at the boy across from him. “Ouch, I didn’t mean for you to literally grab it! Just put your hand over mine gently.”

Yukhei looked at him apologetically. Then he slowly put his huge hand on Donghyuck’s and smiled at him.

“What is that look? You look constipated,” Donghyuck deadpanned, glaring at Yukhei. “God, this is gonna be a disaster!”

“Sorry, I’m just nervous. How are you this calm?” the tall boy asked, fiddling with his fingers and looking around the restaurant nervously.

Donghyuck sighed. He knew he was being annoying, but this just had to be believable. Mark was gonna be here any second, and Yukhei apparently had no idea how to act on a fake date.

“I’m sorry, I got a little carried away. And, I’m not. I’m really nervous too.” Then he smiled brightly, “But excited at the same time. I can’t wait to see the look on Mark’s face when he sees us.”

“Uhm, are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?” Yukhei asked, uncertainty evident in his voice. Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Yukhei. You worry too much. Just relax and be the best fake date you can be.”

Yukhei started saying something, but Donghyuck tuned him out after seeing a familiar figure entering the restaurant. It was show time.

Mark walked in with Jisung's brother Jungwoo, who was also Mark's close friend. Good, everything was going according to plan.

The plan was simple. Chenle was supposed to tell Jisung to tell Jungwoo to get Mark to this specific restaurant at this specific time, anyway he could. Then Mark would see him and Yukhei together, think they're on a date, think that he has no chance with Donghyuck and be devastated. And then Donghyuck would tell him it was just a joke and ask him out. A perfect plan.

Mark and Jungwoo were walking in their direction, Jungwoo telling something to the other, and Mark giggling way louder than he should in a place like this. Donghyuck would probably be jealous if he didn’t know Mark liked him.

Then Mark started looking around the restaurant, probably looking for a free table. That's when their eyes met. Mark's eyes went from Donghyuck’s to the table, where Lucas’ hand still rested on top of his. As soon as he saw the confused look on Mark’s face, Donghyuck knew he made a mistake. Before he could do anything, he felt the brief touch of lips on his right cheek. He turned to see Yukhei looking at him proudly. Donghyuck could only stare back at him blankly.

And yes, Donghyuck knew he made a mistake, but that still didn’t prepare him for the look in Mark’s eyes when he turned to look at the other again. Mark was looking so hurt, and Donghyuck just couldn’t believe he was the cause of that. Then Mark mumbled something to Jungwoo and stormed out of the restaurant, Jungwoo following him quickly, but not before giving Donghyuck a disappointed look. All Donghyuck could do was sit there, looking at the door the two just walked out of.

God, he was a fucking idiot.

~~

After a very disturbing conversation with Jaehyun, where the older had gotten close to murdering him about five times (he probably would have done it if Taeyong hadn’t been there), Donghyuck felt worse than ever. And usually he would just find a way to blame someone else for something bad that was happening to him, but not this time. This was entirely his fault.

He had decided to give his friends one more chance to redeem themselves and help him come up with a way to fix this. Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin and him were sitting at their favorite coffee shop on campus, and it didn't take long for him to realize he really couldn't count on his friends, cause they all sucked.

“I still can’t believe you thought that was a good idea,” Jaemin said, looking at Donghyuck with a mix of pity and disgust. Donghyuck understood, he felt the same way.

“Yeah, and what was Chenle even thinking when he came up with the plan?” Jeno added, genuinely confused.

“What did you just say?” Donghyuck gritted through his teeth, ready to kill Jeno on the spot for even only mentioning his little brother's name.

Jaemin grabbed Jeno’s arm, looking at him nervously, and shaking his head slowly. Jeno seemed to get the hint, since he immediately stopped talking.

“Anyways, I honestly have no idea how you’re gonna fix this,” Jaemin sighed, attempting to change the topic. Donghyuck will let it slide this time.

“I know,” he whined, burying his head in his hands. “Jeno, I changed my mind about your plan being disgusting. Teach me your ways.”

In that moment Yukhei came up to their table, looking at Donghyuck apologetically.

“Donghyuck, I just wanted to say I was sorry again. I know I shouldn’t have kissed you in that moment, it’s just-“

“Yukhei, for the last time, it wasn’t your fault. Please stop apologizing. If anyone should apologize, it’s me. It was really inconsiderate of me to put you in that position.”

“No, no. It’s fine, I promise,” Yukhei dismissed him with a wave of the hand and then proceeded to stand there awkwardly. After a moment, he sighed. “There was actually one more thing I wanted to ask you. Who was that guy Mark was with? I would ask Mark, but, you know…”

Donghyuck winced at his words. He didn't like to be reminded of the consequences of his actions. But then a big smile spread on his face once he realized what Yukhei was asking him.

“Oh, that’s Jungwoo. He’s actually pretty close with Mark. He doesn’t go to our college though. But I can get you his number if you want,” he winked at Yukhei, who was now beat red in the face.

"That would be great. Thank you." He smiled brightly, leaving their table in a rush when a girl sitting at the next table called him for the third time.

"I can see it actually. They're both tall and very good looking. And we know Jungwoo is gay and Yukhei's a charmer, so litteraly nothing could go wrong," Jaemin said and the rest of them agreed. Donghyuck knew his plan was good after all. A few months later, they'll have him to thank for their amazing relationship. God, he was the best.

“Hyunjin just texted me, she’s throwing a party this weekend, so she asked if we wanted to go,” Renjun said, not raising his eyes from his phone.

"I'm in! I didn't get to go to her last party, and I heard it was amazing," Jeno said excitedly.

“That party sucked,” Jaemin said, pouting slightly and leaning to Jeno's side.

~~

_One month ago_

"This party sucks," Jaemin mumbled, fiddling with a glass of something probably not even alcoholic.

"Shut up, Jaemin! You're only saying that cause Jeno's not here," Renjun spat at him, clearly annoyed.

"Why? Are you jealous maybe?" Jaemin retorted, smirking at Renjun.

Renjun sighed, clearly done with Jaemin.

"Jaemin, we've been through this. I don't want to be in a relationship with you and Jeno. I'm definitely straight, sorry."

Jaemin scoffed and Donghyuck decided to just stay out of it. After all, this conversation happened more often than he'd like to admit. So, he just sipped his drink and waited for things to start happening. And by things he meant anything, really, since the party actually was boring.

In that moment someone entered the kitchen, and of course it had to be Mark. He ignored them completely, going for the drinks that were on the other part of the kitchen. He did that a lot lately. Completely ignored Donghyuck. And Donghyuck hated it. Now, Mark had his back turned to them, but Donghyuck wouldn't let him get away so easily. He needed a way to entertain himself, after all.

"Watch your back Lee, you never know what could happen," Donghyuck smirked, looking at Mark and waiting for him to turn around. He had absolutely nothing planned, but Mark didn't have to know that.

"Okay, Lee," Mark replied mockingly. He proceeded to mix his drink, not even sparing Donghyuck a look. Donghyuck was busy with trying to think of something to say back, when Mark suddenly turned around. He stepped closer, looking Donghyuck directly in the eyes.

Donghyuck's heart skipped a beat. Ever since that last party and their 'almost kiss', he couldn't help but see Mark in a new way. If he was being honest with himself, he always thought the older was handsome, but now, it was like that was all he could see. And Mark with his hair out of his forehead, wearing a black dress shirt that clung to his body in all the right places… Donghyuck couldn't even think straight. Mark smirked, probably noticing Donghyuck's dumb expression. He then downed his drink in one go, never breaking eye contact, winking at Donghyuck after he was finished.

"You don't scare me, Hyuck," he said, and then he was out of the room.

The second he left, loud laughter broke the silence that took place after Mark had walked in.

"You should see your face!" Jaemin screamed in between wheezing.

Donghyuck still couldn't talk, his brain failing to realize what just happened. What just happened? And when exactly did Mark become this hot?! The way his eyes roamed all over Donghyuck's body when he got closer and the way a drop of his drink rolled down his face to his neck and kept rolling down-

"Damn, this is sad. I think Mark broke him," he heard Renjun's voice from somewhere behind him.

That snapped him right out of his daze. Mark, breaking him? This was not gonna work, no way. Donghyuck had to do something until the end of the night or it would haunt him forever.

"Oh, it's on!"

"No, Hyuck, we were joking. Please don't make this entire night about Mark again," Jaemin whined, but it was too late. Donghyuck was determined to fluster Mark harder than the other boy flustered him (if that was even possible??).

The night went on and Donghyuck couldn't find Mark anywhere. It was like the older had disappeared. Donghyuck knew he did it on purpose. Flustering Donghyuck like that, and then quickly disappearing before Donghyuck could get him back.

"You do this every time. Make everything about Mark, somehow," Jaemin sighed beside him.

They were standing on the improvised dance floor, Donghyuck pretending to dance while he was actually, what he thought was, subtly looking for a certain black haired boy.

"No, I don't. Also, you're way worse. You're only saying that cause Jeno's not here. Otherwise you would be somewhere making out with him, or worse!" Donghyuck shuddered at the thought.

"Would everyone stop saying that?" Jaemin huffed, looking annoyed. "Also, you realize you just compared you and Mark to me and Jeno? Jeno and I are dating." Donghyuck just looked at him confusedly. "God, you're so whipped and you don't even realize it."

Jaemin was now smirking at him in the grossest way possible. Donghyuck was getting sick of these comments. He was not whipped, he didn't even like the other. But he guessed he might have gotten a little obsessed with getting him back for what happened earlier. It was time to put a stop on it, once and for all.

"You know what? You're right. Not about the whipped part, obviously," he said quickly and Jaemin just rolled his eyes, "But about the other thing. I guess I can get a little carried away. That's why, no more Mark for tonight!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Wow, you're making such a big sacrifice, Hyuck. How are you feeling?" Jaemin asked him teasingly.

Donghyuck just ignored him. He was ready to have a good time. Right at that time, someone announced it was time for karaoke, and Donghyuck beamed. Perfect.

He wanted to find Renjun, since the two of them usually sang together in situations like this one, but couldn't see him anywhere. Well, he just had to do it alone. Right when he got on the 'stage', their DJ for the night, Ten (Donghyuck hoped that was just his DJ name and not his real one), announced that it was time to slow things down, and that the next one should be a slow song. Donghyuck could work with that. He was a little surprised, not expecting to actually sing seriously tonight, but he was always ready to blow everyone away with his voice. What? He had a good voice and he knew it.

He decided to sing his original song he wrote with Taeil, never missing an opportunity to promote himself. He quickly found the instrumental and, once Ten played it, he started singing.

"Fly away with me baby…"

Here's the thing. When Donghyuck sings, he forgets about the world around him. So, he sang with his eyes closed, letting himself enjoy the moment completely and only opening them somewhere in the middle of the song. Once he was back in the reality, he was met with everyone's eyes on him. But his eyes automatically flew to one particular pair.

Mark was standing at the entrance of the room, staring straight at him with his mouth hanging open. Donghyuck was a little surprised by Mark's flushed state, but he understood. He knew he was good, okay?

What he didn't understand was Mark pulling him away, the second he finished the song. He pulled him out of the house, only stopping once they were at the front door.

"What are you doing?" Donghyuck asked nervously. But even though his heart threatened to get out of his chest, he knew that he would let Mark do pretty much anything he wanted. It was weird how much he trusted the other.

"Just sit here. I wanted to be alone with you," Mark said casually, pointing to the stairs in front of the house.

Donghyuck understood now that Mark was drunk. There was just no other explanation for his behavior. He decided to do as Mark said, interested in what the other boy was going to tell him, but nervous at the same time. The way he practically fell on the spot next to Donghyuck only confirmed his suspicions. They sat in silence for a while. Donghyuck was too scared to ask him why he wanted to be alone with him.

"God, I love your voice so much! Seriously, how can anyone have a voice that pretty?" Mark yelled suddenly, looking somewhere in front of himself. He then turned to look at Donghyuck, and Donghyuck couldn't have been able to look away even if he wanted to. Mark was looking at him with such a vulnerable expression, it was almost entrancing. Then he added in a lower voice: "It gets me frustrated sometimes, when I think you'll never sing like that for me."

Donghyuck was speechless. His brain stopped working a long time ago and he physically couldn't form a sentence. That's why he just stared at Mark, lips parted, probably looking like an idiot.

Then, Mark looked away and giggled. What was going on?!

"I even wrote a song for you, but couldn't find the courage to give it to you. I just put it on my SoundCloud instead, hoping you would maybe stumble upon it somehow." He then put his head in his hands, as if to hide from Donghyuck. "God, this is so embarrassing. Why am I even telling you this?" he asked, still hiding his face from Donghyuck.

Donghyuck had absolutely no idea why Mark was telling him this. Then, his brain slowly started coming to life. Wait, Mark wrote a song for him? Why? His heart started beating faster, a weird feeling appearing in his stomach.

"You know, I think about that night a lot. If only Taeyong hadn't shown up..." Mark started speaking again after a while, trailing off pointedly.

Donghyuck knew he had to say something now. And after everything Mark just said, he knew he needed to be honest.

"Me too," he said quietly, looking at the floor.

Donghyuck could see that Mark hadn't expected those words from the way his face lit up.

"Okay, yeah. That's good," Mark said awkwardly, smiling at him.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes, Donghyuck thinking again about how weird it was that he felt that comfortable with the other boy, before Mark said: "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Then he turned away from Donghyuck and threw up in the grass. Donghyuck was almost relieved. Because, this, he knew how to deal with. Being Jaemin’s best friend made him an expert at this kind of stuff.

He started rubbing circles on Mark's back with his right hand, and pushing Mark's hair back to prevent it from sticking to his forehead uncomfortably with the other.

"It's okay. Let it all out," he said quietly. Mark turned to look at him through his eyelashes, barely lifting his head from his lap. From the glazed look in Mark's eyes, Donghyuck guessed that the other was completely gone, barely even knowing where he was, probably. He was surprised Mark managed to seem so normal before, when he had this much to drink, but then again, he's seen it all with Jaemin.

"I'm gonna call you a cab, is that alright?" When Mark stayed quiet with his head buried in his lap again, Donghyuck tried a different approach. "Do you want me to call someone for you?"

He got up to pull his phone out of his back pocket, when Mark weakly grabbed his arm.

"Please don't leave," he murmured, Donghyuck barely understanding him. Donghyuck let himself smile a little upon hearing those words. Fuck, it wasn't the time or the place for that! Get a grip Donghyuck!

After half an hour of trying to convince Mark to get into a cab, and listening to his unrelated mumbling, Donghyuck found himself sitting next to Mark in the back seat of the cab, the older resting his head on Donghyuck's shoulder and sleeping peacefully.

Back while he was still in the process of convincing Mark to 'just fucking get in, for fuck's sake', he lost another friend. It happened when he was almost ready to give up, Donghyuck seeing Jaehyun leaving the party and, at the moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally gonna get some help. Never will he be that naive again. Just as he was about to call for Jaehyun to help him, the other boy only threw him a pitying glance, shaking his head no. "What do you mean by that? Get back here, you piece of shit, he's your friend, not mine!" It's fine, Donghyuck will get back at him someday.

When the car stopped in front of Mark's dorm, Donghyuck slowly shook him awake. Mark blinked his eyes open and looked at Donghyuck with a confused expression. Donghyuck didn't even try to stop himself from cooing. He paid the driver and left the car with Mark leaning to his side as they walked, not being able to walk by himself.

They walked in silence, Donghyuck giggling occasionally every time Mark tripped on nothing and almost fell. Yes, it happened multiple times.

They managed to get to Mark's room safely, not even waking up his roommate, which Donghyuck was glad about. Hendery was too weird, and that was coming from Donghyuck.

Donghyuck led Mark to his bed, knowing that the boy was too gone to be brushing his teeth and changing his clothes. Mark's eyes closed as soon as his body touched the bed.

"You know that I really like you, right? But don't feel pressured, it's okay if you don't like me back," Mark mumbled, opening his eyes slightly and then closing them again, probably too exhausted to keep them open.

For the second time that night, Donghyuck felt like he couldn't lie to him.

"I like you, too," Donghyuck whispered, even though he knew Mark could no longer hear him, his breathing evening out completely, indicating that he was already asleep.

Maybe it was for the better. Donghyuck got ahead of himself, carried away by Mark's drunken state. He thought about pressing a kiss to Mark's forehead, but stopped himself just in time. It would have been too creepy. He sighed, disgusted with what he was becoming. He put a glass of water and an aspirin next to Mark's bed and left his dorm.

When he got home that night, he immediately searched for Mark's SoundCloud account on his laptop. His eyes soon landed on a song called FullSun and his heart stopped. FullSun was his self given stage name cause people often told him he's bright like the sun (fine, only his mom and Taeyong). But that meant Mark truly did write a song for him.

He played the song, closing his eyes when the melody started. It was a slow song, a ballad, it seemed. When the lyrics started, Donghyuck immediately recognized Jungwoo's voice. He tried not to be jealous.

The song was beautiful, and the lyrics were sad, but beautiful at the same time. It was a song about loving someone who was out of your league, someone perfect. The sad undertone of the lyrics came from the fact that the person was too good for you, and that, because of that, nothing will ever happen.

When the song ended, Donghyuck realised he was crying. Hard. Fuck Mark and his stupid words and giggles and songs. He had no idea what he was feeling, but at least he was acknowledging that he was feeling something.

He fell asleep that night to the song playing on repeat, promising himself he'll work on his feelings and figure this thing with Mark out.

~~

To this day, Donghyuck didn't know if Mark even remembered that night. Donghyuck obviously never mentioned anything, and neither did Mark. Maybe that was the night Mark referred to when they were stuck in that closet, Donghyuck was too afraid to ask back then. But he seriously doubted it, since the older looked practically dead at the end of the party, so he probably didn't remember a thing. And it was better that way.

Because Donghyuck had an idea. And a good one, this time.

~~

"Uhm, hello everyone." The mic screeched loudly, and a bunch of groans were heard from the crowd. Donghyuck winced, but quickly continued. "I'm very sorry I gathered you all here today. And I'm so sorry there will, in fact, not be any free coffee like promised. I still can't believe so many people fell for that," he chuckled nervously.

Someone in the crowd booed loudly. A few others followed. That was fine, Donghyuck wasn't affected.

"Anyways. I'll get right into it. I'm gonna sing a song for someone very special to me. And I guess I just wanted to say that I'm sorry and that I like you." He paused, daring to look at the crowd for the first time since he climbed on the stage. He was met by a bunch of unimpressed faces, along with a lot of smiling ones and a few disgusted ones (just Renjun, really). But then he saw him. Mark was pushing his way to the front of the stage, it seemed, a confused look on his face. Then, he lifted his head, probably feeling Donghyuck's eyes on him, and their eyes met. Donghyuck was now more sure than ever that if he was gonna humiliate himself in front of a bunch of people, it will be for this dork. He smiled shyly. "This is for you, Mark Lee," he said and almost threw up in his own mouth. Seriously, what was happening to him?!

Then he started singing, and everyone became silent. It was like every person in the audience stopped what they were doing and started listening to him.

Donghyuck pretty much blacked out for the rest of his performance, getting lost in the song, and trying to do the best job of singing it. Still, he couldn't help but feel nervous, probably more than ever before, which was understandable, since he never tried to impress and win over his crush with the song said crush wrote for him before.

When he finished, the whole crowd erupted with cheers, but Donghyuck could only focus on one person. He slowly started moving towards Mark, the crowd moving away so they would clear the path for him. Mark was standing frozen on the spot, looking at Donghyuck with a dumbstruck expression.

"Hi," Donghyuck said shyly when he reached him.

"How did you find out about the song?" Mark asked breathlessly, looking at Donghyuck with a vulnerable expression.

"You told me about it, but I guess you don't remember," Donghyuck said quietly, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on them. Mark didn't seem to care.

"I can't believe you did this. It's even better than I imagined it would be with your voice."

"It's the song really. It's incredible. I can't believe you wrote it for me."

"Just kiss already!" A voice he recognized as Jaemin’s said. Donghyuck turned to glare at him. He then saw that all of his friends, along with his brothers, stood there, looking at them excitedly. Taeyong gave him a thumbs up, looking at him reassuringly. So, despite Jaemin’s annoying words, seeing his closest people managed to make him feel a little less nervous.

He turned to Mark again to see the other looking at him with uncertainty. Looking at his eyes, Donghyuck knew two things for sure. One, that he really liked Mark and two, that he would very much like to kiss him. Like, right now.

"Hyuck we don't have to -"

He stopped the older boy by smashing their mouths together, forgetting about the crowd around them as soon as his lips met Mark's. Mark was surprised for a brief second, but luckily got ahold of himself before things got embarrassing for Donghyuck.

He started kissing Donghyuck back like he was waiting to do it for years. Well, actually, he might have. Donghyuck completely let himself go, feeling like they were the only two people in the world. He didn't even care that, apparently, Mark was, slowly but surely, turning him into a disgusting person, doing and thinking the things he never thought he would.

Only when Mark bit his lower lip and Donghyuck practically moaned into the kiss, making someone from the audience cough loudly, did he become aware of the crowd surrounding them again. He reluctantly pulled away, and nearly choked on his spit when Mark whined and buried his head in the crook of Donghyuck's neck. Oh, Mark's gonna be the death of him, for sure.

Someone behind him fake gagged and Donghyuck didn't even have to look to know it was Jaemin again. Well, there goes his title as Donghyuck's best friend.

Mark lifted his head and whispered in his ear: "Hey, wanna go somewhere? As much as I'm enjoying this, I'd rather we continued somewhere more private." He laughed nervously, and Donghyuck found it adorable how flustered Mark was.

"I thought you'd never ask."

~~

_One year later_

"Donghyuck, this isn't even funny," Mark deadpanned. "Seriously, how old are you?"

Even though Mark wanted to stay serious, Donghyuck could see he was suppressing a smile.

"What, it's a good joke, "Donghyuck said, knowing damn well that it wasn't.

Mark lifted an eyebrow at him, looking hilarious with a bottle of ketchup in his hand, next to an incredibly fancy looking box.

"Okay, okay," Donghyuck said, laughing loudly. Mark started giggling as well, probably not being able to keep a straight face any longer. Donghyuck wondered how he managed to do it for this long, anyway.

Donghyuck then pulled out the real present from behind his back.

"Happy birthday, Mark!" he said, suddenly feeling shy. Mark looked surprised for a second, but quickly composed himself, taking the bag from Donghyuck's hands.

Donghyuck watched his face closely, excited to see his boyfriend's reaction to the gift. He knew Mark's gonna love it, since Mark talked about those speakers and how well they would fit in his studio more than anything else for the past few months. Donghyuck was honestly just glad he'll finally shut up now.

"Oh my god! Are these -" Mark started squealing loudly, holding the said speakers in his hands. "I can't believe this! Hyuck, why did you spend all this money, you're crazy?!"

"They weren't that expensive," he said, waving Mark off. They were. Very expensive. But Donghyuck couldn't help but think that saving up for a couple of months was definitely worth it, if Mark was gonna be this happy. "Im just glad you like it."

"God, I love it so much! You're the best!" Mark exclaimed, throwing himself in his boyfriend's arms and hugging him tightly.

Mark then pulled away, looking at Donghyuck's eyes with a soft look. Donghyuck smiled widely, just happy to be close to the other.

"I love you," Mark said sweetly, and then started leaving soft kisses all over Donghyuck's face, finally reaching his lips in the end.

"I love you too," Donghyuck said, smiling into the kiss and threading his hands through Mark's hair.

His phone chose that moment to start ringing loudly, startling the both of them. Since it was Chenle who was calling, obviously he had to pick up.

"Hey baby, what's up?" He thought he heard Mark mumbling something in the lines of 'never gonna stop being weird', but just ignored him.

"Hey Hyuckie, why is there a cow at your place?" Chenle asked, sounding very confused.

Donghyuck snapped his eyes at Mark's, looking at him firmly.

"A what at my place?"

Realization started taking place on Mark's face, and he slowly got up from where he was sitting on his bed.

"Yeah, a cow. Like a huge one, she even pooped all over your floor. It's really bad," Chenle answered, disgust evident in his voice.

"Thanks Lele, I'll call you back," he said quickly, hanging up on his brother, still staring at Mark with his deadliest stare.

"Fuck, I forgot about that!" Mark was now slowly backing up to the door, looking at Donghyuck apologetically. "I was sure you were only giving me the ketchup as a gift, since I heard you telling that to Chenle a few days ago. So I -"

He was interrupted by a crazy looking Donghyuck who got to his feet abruptly, ready to chase him down.

"Oh, you're so dead, Mark Lee!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this!


End file.
